


Sergeant's Exam

by Nemesis (ThetaSigma), ThetaSigma



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, post ep: s17e16 Collateral Damages
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-20
Updated: 2016-02-20
Packaged: 2018-05-21 23:40:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6062494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThetaSigma/pseuds/Nemesis, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThetaSigma/pseuds/ThetaSigma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Following Dodd's shooting and indecision, Liv preps for another sergeant. After all, there's nothing that says she can't have two sergeants....</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sergeant's Exam

Liv didn’t know what Dodds would decide, whether his father’s pressure would be successful, but she wasn’t the type to wait around and see. She wanted a back-up just in case, and if Dodds stayed, well, why couldn’t they have two sergeants? She knew no other unit did, but SVU was unique, and she was going to push that argument all the way through to the top if she had to.

With that, she called Fin into the office. 

“I want you to take the sergeant’s exam,” she said without preamble.

“We have a sergeant,” Fin pointed out.

“For now,” she answered, not elaborating. 

Fin shook his head. “I told you already, I want no part in that. I saw John go through it.”

Liv sighed and damned John. “It isn’t as bad as John made it out to be; you know he’s a chronic complainer.”

Fin bit back a smile; it _was_ an accurate characterization of his husband. 

“Besides, since I’m Lieutenant, I have to deal with most of the stuff John complained about,” Liv said. “But Dodds might be moving on to other things, and Fin, no one knows as much about SVU as us two. If I have a choice, I want you.”

“And if Dodds stays, I get reassigned,” Fin said. “No, thank you.”

Liv shook her head. “I will fight tooth and nail to keep you,” she promised. “If they force you to leave, they will lose me too.”

Fin looked at her, startled. “You’re serious.”

She nodded. “Absolutely. I don’t see why we can’t have two sergeants, if Dodds stays – SVU is a law unto its own in the NYPD – and I want you as a sergeant. You’ve been here 16 years, Fin. Don’t you ever think about it?”

To be fair, he _had_ – until he had seen John dealing with the bullshit. But Liv seemed serious and honestly, it annoyed him a pipsqueak like Dodds outranked him. Dodds was good, he had to admit, but Fin still thought, deep down, that Dodds got the job only because of his dad’s connections. 

“I’ll take the exam,” Fin said grudgingly. “But only if you really will fight to keep me in SVU. I ain’t moving after 16 years.”

“You have my word,” Liv promised.

*** 

Fin told John that night. “Liv talked me into taking the sergeant’s exam.”

“You’re going to regret it,” John said. “I told you, it’s – ”

“Paperwork, drudgery, bureaucracy, feuding underlings, 1PP, and the DA all at once,” Fin recited from memory. 

“Besides, I thought you guys had Junior,” John said.

“I don’t know, Liv thinks he might be leaving after the shooting. She wasn’t clear, and she’s gonna push for two sergeants if he stays. Says she’ll leave if they don’t keep me at SVU.”

John looked at Fin seriously. “You want this?” he asked.

Fin nodded. “Yeah, I do,” he said, surprising himself how much he did. “I’ve been a detective a long time now; it’s about time I moved up.”

John shrugged. “Sergeant Tutuola. Has a nice ring to it,” he said. 

“Sergeants Munch and Tutuola, at your service,” Fin said, clinking his beer against John’s. “Shame you’re not around anymore.”

*** 

Tucker entered Liv’s office. “You’re having Detective Tutuola take the sergeant’s exam without waiting to see what Dodds does?” he said.

Liv took off her reading glasses. “Hello to you too, Tucker,” she said. “And yes. Fin will make a fine sergeant, and you can’t tell me there’s anything in his jacket that will prevent him from becoming sergeant.” Unlike Nick, she thought.

Tucker didn’t say it either. “There isn’t.”

“He’s been here 16 years, and he’s married to a former sergeant of SVU, valuable insight.”

“I may know he and Sergeant Munch are married,” Tucker admitted. “That doesn’t change the fact that you already _have_ a sergeant,” he said.

“I’ve been looking,” she answered, “and there’s nothing that says I can’t have two.”

“No one else has two. It’s a dangerous precedent.”

“I’m under the impression the brass is impressed with my work,” Liv said. “I think they want me still in charge of this unit. If Detective Tutuola – hopefully soon to be _Sergeant_ Tutuola – doesn’t stay under _my_ command, that will change.”

“Are you threatening me, Lieutenant?”

“No. I’m preparing for every eventuality. I think Dodds and Fin can work together, if Dodds stays. If not, Fin is who I want as sergeant. If for some reason we can’t have two sergeants, they’re out a lieutenant. I promised, but I’d really rather stay here.”

Tucker sighed. “Not an easy situation you’ve put us in.”

“SVU is an unusual department anyway,” Liv coaxed. “Certainly the excuse you can use next time.”

“Are you writing my lines?”

“When it’s this important to our team? You bet I am.”

Tucker shook his head. “I’ll clear it with the brass, but I think your… promise to leave will carry weight. Try not to do that again, Lieutenant, you get only one. I hope Tutuola’s worth it.”

“Would I do this if he weren’t?”

Tucker started to leave and paused at the door. “Did you ask him to take the sergeant’s exam, or is that something he’s been wanting to do?”

“I’m not answering that, Tucker,” Liv said, putting her reading glasses back on. 

*** 

Fin passed the exam, of course. He hadn’t doubted he would, though he had studied hard, with John’s help. 

He and Liv arrived at a crime scene to find a rape victim on a stretcher. Liv motioned for the EMS to wait a minute so they could ask the victim some questions, and she introduced them. “I’m Lieutenant Benson, this is my partner, Sergeant Tutuola –” and a little thrill ran through him at that. _Sergeant_ Tutuola. 

He knew there was going to be a lot more to it than just a name change, but hell, he was ready – especially with John’s knowledge to fall back onto.


End file.
